CVE-2021-1052

Local privilege escalation via legacy kernel API access

Published Jan 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Privilege escalation in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux, all versions, allows local users to access legacy privileged APIs. The nvlddmkm.sys kernel-mode handlers for DxgkDdiEscape and IOCTL expose those APIs to user-mode clients without adequate restriction. A local user with driver access can obtain elevated privileges, disclose information, or trigger denial of service; no network access is required.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.45%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux, all versions, allows local users to access legacy privileged APIs. The nvlddmkm.sys kernel-mode handlers for DxgkDdiEscape and IOCTL expose those APIs to user-mode clients without adequate restriction. A local user with driver access can obtain elevated privileges, disclose information, or trigger denial of service; no network access is required.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1052
Published
Jan 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
NVIDIA
Product
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=All

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NVIDIA · NVIDIA GPU Display Driverversion=All

Published CVSS scores

7.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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